Traditional bathroom and kitchen ventilation systems may be classified generally as spot ventilation systems or spot ventilators, which are localized ventilation systems that remove pollutants quickly from their source as they are generated. They can be used whether or not a whole house ventilation system or natural ventilation system is used to substantially improve air quality.
These spot ventilators are typically either a ducted ventilator or a recirculating ventilator. In each type of ventilator, a fan is used to draw in air from an environment. A ducted ventilator exhausts the air from the point of installation, preferably to the outside. In a recirculating ventilator, the air is passed through a series of filters to remove odors and airborne particulates before the air is exhausted back into the environment from which the air was originally drawn. The exhaust method of removing the air from the point of the ventilation system to the outside in the ducted ventilator is the most effective method of removing contaminates from the building of the two installations. The filtration method of recirculating air typically uses a series of particulate trapping filters and often incorporates an active charcoal filter, odor-absorbing medium, or other air-borne contaminate removing filter.
While both types of systems have been in use since the invention of the fan, neither system addresses the issues created by improvements in energy efficiency, airtight buildings, energy saving envelope shields and closed cell insulation building wraps. Today's new homes and buildings achieve energy efficiency through better insulation and maintaining an essentially airtight enclosure. While these energy efficiency features conserve our natural resources and eliminate waste, they create an environment where stale air, mold, odors and gasses can accumulate, creating an unhealthy environment. Furthermore, the use of fans generates noise, uses rotating parts, requires a larger housing, has a high operating cost, and cannot act to filter the air that is moved.
There exists, therefore, a need in the art for a new and improved spot ventilator that may be used in bathrooms, kitchens, closets, etc. that takes these issues into account and that improves the efficiency and effectiveness of such systems.